Sen. Lautenberg wants to snuff out electronic cigarettes

The Hill ^ | March 23, 2009 | Jordy Yager

[Eric Blair 2084]

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) wants to ban a smoking device that several House Republicans have trumpeted for helping them quit smoking.

The battery-operated device, known as an electronic cigarette, looks like a normal cigarette, but contains no tobacco and instead of smoke emits a nicotine vapor when the user inhales. Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) have all been spotted using the device on Capitol Hill.

But the device, which is sold over the Internet and at select mall kiosks, needs to be tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before it is deemed safe for general use, Lautenberg wrote in a letter to the FDA on Monday.

“Manufacturers and retailers of these products claim that e-cigarettes are safe, and even that these products can help smokers quit traditional cigarettes,” he wrote.

“However, there have been no clinical studies to prove these products are effective at helping smokers quit, nor have any studies verified the safety of these products or their long-term health effects.”

Stearns shot back at Lautenberg on Monday, saying that there is no evidence that the device is harmful.

“Before the FDA takes any immediate action, it should put forward scientific evidence that these products are harmful or unsafe,” he said in a statement.

“These e-cigarettes are smokeless and do not produce carcinogens. The nicotine in e-cigarettes is controlled in a capsule that can help in smoking cessation by allowing the user to reduce gradually the nicotine level, hopefully to zero.”

Stearns has sent electronic cigarettes to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and President Obama to help them quit smoking. He’s been seen using the device in the Speaker’s Lobby, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) banned smoking two years ago. Her office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

A longtime opponent of smoking, Lautenberg authored the law that banned smoking on airplanes and a law that banned smoking in federal facilities that serve children.

[Eric Blair 2084]

It's good to know that they know about his in Congress.

I only know of one person who has tried e-cigs and failed to quit tobacco. (her husband quit but she didn't).

I smoked a pack a day until I got mine a few weeks ago. I haven't had a tobacco cigarette in the last week. I didn't even intend to quit smoking entirely.

That phermaldahyde filled walking corpse Lautenberg from the Democratic People's Republic of NJ is also to thank for increasing the drinking age to 21 back in the 80's.

He was a two pack a day smoker, than became a zealot. I thought tobacco was a killer. How is he still alive?

[SpaceBar]

relevant article here...

The Phony Tobacco War

[Eric Blair 2084]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junkie, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Egalitarian, Central Planning, Sheeple Control, Food Cop, Smoke Nazi, Socialism, Collectivism

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____________________________________________________________________

Constitution of the Left Wing Nanny State of Liberals:

Picture courtesy of unixfox. All rights reserved. Copyright MMVII. Any use of the pictures descriptions or accounts of this ping without the express written consent of unixfox, Eric Blair, or Major League Baseball is strictly prohibited. Some restrictions apply. Ping not available in all states. For erections lasting longer than four hours, call the Guiness Book of World Records. Use only as directed.

Preamble:

We the People Sheeple of the United States Nanny State, in Order to form a more perfect Union Socialist Utopia, establish Justice Socially engineer a country of non smoking, physically fit, seat belt and helmet wearing teetotalers, ensure domestic Tranquility Smoking bans in bars, limits on unhealthy food and social drinking, provide for the common defense Universal Healthcare, promote the general Welfare health of the population whether they like it or not, in order to save above mentioned Universal Healthcare entitlement program from bankruptcy, and secure the Blessings of Liberty Dependency to ourselves progressive liberals and our Posterity Hitler Youth who we brainwash through public school education, do ordain decree and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Nanny State of Liberals.

[SpaceBar]

excerpt...

Nicotine is the only reason a tobacco consumer consumes tobacco. Aside from the comforting rituals of buying, unwrapping, prepping, fondling, lighting and gesturing with one’s chosen tobacco product, the ultimate purpose of tobacco consumption is the delivery of nicotine to the receptors on specialized brain cells inside the tobacco consumer’s skull. It’s not a big sin; the consumption of nicotine by itself is rather harmless. By itself, nicotine is no more harmful than the caffeine we offer children with every can of Coke or Mountain Dew; it does no harm to the God-given temple of our bodies. It’s all the other useless crap in the smoke that causes asthma attacks and heart disease and makes people cough up those gigantic yellow loogies. So you’d think that anyone who invented an smokeless, odor-free, way to provide nicotine junkies with a quick fix without endangering anyone’s health would be instantly hailed as a genius, a benefactor of mankind and an all-round good Joe. Well, if you think that, then you don’t understand politicians.

[Darkwolf377]

There is no doubt that Democrats see their place as Parents to those stupid American children aka All Of The Rest Of Us.

The problem is, a voting majority agrees with them.

[toldyou]

I am not a fan of Lautenberg, but I have him to thank for getting smoking banned from airplanes.

[Eric Blair 2084]

This is much more sinister. I never thought I would sit around sounding like a lib lamenting the military/industrial complex or whatever.

In this case, the formula is simple....

Big Tobacco + Big Pharma + State Governments addicted to tobacco tax revenue - Smokers who quit and still enjoy themselves = All Hell Breaking Loose divided by unintended consequences, Capitalism, Inventors, Freedom.

[OldNavyVet]

The FDA should be snuffed out ... for lack of common sense.

[ChrisInAR]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junkie, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Egalitarian, Central Planning, Sheeple Control, Food Cop, Smoke Nazi, Socialism, Collectivism

Yeah, that got me to thinkin': all the Drug Warriors whine about marijuana being more "dangerous" than tobacco, maybe one day someone will get a patent for an e-joint? A THC-filled e-joint. That would be awesome!

[MamaLucci]

You will LOVE what’s coming then, brother. Cradle to grave, Americans being told what, where,and when they can do anything. Wake up.........you’d better not have a “secret” passion, because Big Bro O will root it out, and put a stop to it.(unless you are a member of the elite club, then do what ever the hell you want....smoking in the White House....no problemo.)

[Sir Gawain]

Hurry up and die you worthless sack of statist garbage.

[KoRn]

I'd wager if you follow the money, the old fossil has gotten some contributions from some of the companies that make other smoking cessation products. I've heard the "e-cigarettes" really work for some people. I can't think of any sensible reason why they should be restricted. Most of the time, when a legislator wants to do something that doesn't make sense, there's money involved.

[MarineMomJ]

Last year I wrote to Sen. Lautenberg protesting abortion and beseeching him to not vote toward partial birth abortion. He wrote back to me with the usual psychobabble how it’s a woman’s right to choose, bla bla bla.

Now this idiot is on his high horse about e-cigarettes? Clearly, his priorities are skewed.

MMJ

[Eric Blair 2084]

I am not a fan of Lautenberg, but I have him to thank for getting smoking banned from airplanes.

Words full of significance.

I could easily say:

I'm not a fan of _________ (insert liberal politician), but I'm glad that they got rid of _______(whatever you do that would annoy me and everyone who knows you).

[Sir Gawain]

I am not a fan of Lautenberg, but I have him to thank for getting smoking banned from airplanes.

So you're not a believer in the free market. Smoking would have disappeared on planes without a stupid law, due to natural market forces.

[Eric Blair 2084]

[MarineMomJ]

Well said, my friend.

[SpaceBar]

another telling excerpt...

To show how serious they are about curbing the vendors of nicotine, our elected drug warriors recently dropped the hammer on. . .lollipops. I’m not kidding. Nicotine is now an unregulated drug only when consumers inhale it along with those fifteen-hundred other toxic and radioactive chemicals. When harmlessly mixed with a natural sweetener to mask the bitter taste of nicotine it becomes an illegal product, according to an FDA watchdog. The Food and Drug Administration has banned the Internet sale of nicotine lollipops. Liberal California Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman led the charge against the harmless little suckers by railing: “An addictive drug should not be masked by sweeteners and sold as a lollipop without a thorough review by the FDA and strict safeguards to prevent inappropriate underage use.” It’s a nice sound bite, but Mr. Waxman is clueless. The nicotine dosages are well within established safe limits and at three bucks a pop, they are unattractive to kids. And besides, kids already have easy access to an unregulated source of nicotine: cigarettes.

[toldyou]

“So you’re not a believer in the free market. Smoking would have disappeared on planes without a stupid law, due to natural market forces.”

How long was I to wait?

Try being on a coast to coast flight...breathing in the smoke and not being able to breath?

[toldyou]

breath?

breathe?

[Prospero]

I don't know a thing about these E-cigs, but if they help you get off the fags, and they aren't offensive and don't create physiological addiction in others, WTF?

I'm lit up on a 2 mg thumbnail of nicorette fruit spash, just about through with those, and haven't smoked a cigarette in about a month.

Very addictive stuff, nicotine. But I really signed on to call Lout-enberg an a-hole, which is precisely what he is. What kind of goat injections does this guy take to stay alive? I've been wondering since he returned to the Senate from the tomb, years ago.

[nysuperdoodle]

I use an e-cigarette myself, and it’s a real life-changer. It’s unbelievable that they want to regulate these now, too.

[ChrisInAR]

Waxman is SUCH an idiot...isn’t it time for him to retire? He’s been in Congress for way too long, IMO.

[gonzo]

"...I am not a fan of Lautenberg, but I have him to thank for getting smoking banned from airplanes..."

I'm a Pilot. You're a moron ................. FRegards

[Eric Blair 2084]

How long am I supposed to wait before I don’t have to have a 370 pound guy sitting next to me on a trans Atlantic fight poking his fleshy elbows into my ribs while I’m trying to sleep?

Where the Hell is your Messiah John Banzhaf with my bailout?

[Eric Blair 2084]

That Chinese guy who invented the Ruyan after his father died of lung cancer should get a Nobel Prize.

Much more deserving than Arafat or Krugman.

The man is a genius. He invented something that I actually prefer to tobacco. Never thought I’d say that.

He’ll get rich and Statists will become poor. Unless they can use Gubmint to stop it and give them a bailout.

[Minn]

By itself, nicotine is no more harmful than the caffeine we offer children with every can of Coke or Mountain Dew

Maybe. But you don't see people completely consumed by cravings for caffeine. Sure, coffee is part of many people's daily routine, but the psychological dependence isn't even close to nicotine.

[Kent C]

So you're not a believer in the free market. Smoking would have disappeared on planes without a stupid law, due to natural market forces.

Or there would have been airlines that offered smoking planes for a price.

And I hope that for all those 'sensitive (blue) noses' out there, that somewhere along our rush to socialism, that they ban one of your most enjoyable pleasures, because as Eric points out in his statement where you can fill in the blanks, there's a socialist do-gooder behind every one of those statements. I don't care how 'conservative' or 'libertarian' you think you are.

[toldyou]

“I’m a Pilot. You’re a moron ................. FRegards”

You’re not a commercial pilot! I know better than that!

[toldyou]

“I’m a Pilot. You’re a moron ................. FRegards”

I have been around commercial pilots for 36 years....

again...you are not a professional pilot.

How can I tell? Just ask.

[Myrddin]

Try being on a coast to coast flight...breathing in the smoke and not being able to breath?

Try "Cincinnati" to Frankfurt, Germany with a constant plume of smoke. Or Brussels, Belgium. Gag. Add the BO from the "bath a month" club and you have a very malodorous transit. I only tolerated it because it was a business trip on the company nickel. There's no way I would pay out of my own pocket for that experience.

[toldyou]

“Where the Hell is your Messiah John Banzhaf with my bailout?”

Yeah..I’ve been in that situation once. The gal put the armrest up between us...I put it down.

Also, the CSR placed two women...(each had to weigh 400 lbs) at the exit row. I had visions of them getting stuck in the overwing exit while attempting to evacuate.

[toldyou]

“Try “Cincinnati” to Frankfurt, Germany with a constant plume of smoke.”

EWR to Tokyo was awful...14 hours! The Asians were the worst!

[The Ghost of Rudy McRomney]

Your friends over at DU await you. Goodbye.

[midmoschmo]

Ive had my ecig for about a month now - and I’m down to just 2 cigs a day in the morning vs my 2.5 packs a day a month ago. Same goes for the wife to.

I know others have done better quitting wise but still - for me I have to view that as no small victory in the whole process here.

The overall points Id make about the ecigs are these:

Ive managed to cut back this much, with hardly any effort at all, no withdrawal and no cravings worth mentioning really. Theres no smoke, the vapor does not have any smell and any worry of any type of 2nd hand exposure is nil. Its just nicotine w/ vapor - which the FDA have approved for other things as a chemical(’s) thats not altogether that harmful to you. Its at the very least - exponentially better for you then real cigs. I would also have to tout the immediate health benefits of the method of delivery of ecigs vs actual “smoking”. Lets not even mention it costs about 1/5 the cost of cigs as well. It tastes better and has no odor also.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say one should refer to the ecig as a “quit smoking” device however - as if you look at how it works that might not be a real expectation; however saying its a “smoking alternative” that undeniably is healthier (not “healthy for” but “ier”) is realistic.
The apparent ability to use it as a quitting device I think stems from the simple fact you can adjust the levels of nicotine you intake - where as very few other nicotine products allow for that and none do so while allowing all the feeling of smoking a real cig at the same time.

And I have a fellow member on the boards here to thank for it as well - although the name escapes me now for which I apologize - but it was a fellow who made a random mention of it and I asked a few questions which he gladly answered.

In the end - long term thinking here - it was one of the nicest things anyone has done in passing for me and I am grateful of the time he took to explain the ecig to me; and feel blessed that I found such an easy way to quit what I couldn’t quit with other methods.

Each day the ecig use between the wife and I is growing lower and lower without any real noticeable effort. To me - this is outstandingly beneficial and for anyone to want to take that progress away from myself or any other for some legislative political financially motivated bs is obscene at best and morally reprehensible in actual.

[libertarian27]

This post reminds me - I got to buy more Juice.
[going to give the VG a try too]

I haven’t cut down much with the e-cig but I haven’t embraced it fully yet. It is fun vaping in taverns though....

Lautenburg will never stop the e-cig, there are too many ways to make-your-own by visiting Radio Shack and a Drug Store.

[GRRRRR]

Personal Vaporizers are the wave of the future for nicotine use...got one now and three more on the way...

[CSM]

More proof that it is all about control.

[CSM]

“How long was I to wait?”

Just as long as it would take some enterprising individual or group to risk their own hard work and cash to start a smoke free airline. Or you could have taken the risk yourself. You know, the rugged individualistic approach that built the greatest country on this earth.

[CSM]

“You’re not a commercial pilot! I know better than that!”

How is that distinction even relevant? Smoking has been banned from ALL aircraft, not just commercial planes.

[Still Thinking]

He was a two pack a day smoker, than became a zealot. I thought tobacco was a killer. How is he still alive?

RJ Reynolds probably slipped him a couple mil to do this.

[Mr. Jeeves]

But the device, which is sold over the Internet and at select mall kiosks, needs to be tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before it is deemed safe for general use, Lautenberg wrote in a letter to the FDA on Monday.

Translation: Lautenberg wants more tax revenue from this product.

[andy58-in-nh]

For too long, Americans have been conditioned to believe that all Nazis wear gray uniforms with red armbands bearing swastikas. Those Nazis are all dead, but others have taken their place. They still worship the state, detest personal liberty, and claim to love mankind and nature, as did their predecessors. They will “progress” in the same directions, as well.

[Still Thinking]

How is that distinction even relevant? Smoking has been banned from ALL aircraft, not just commercial planes.

Are you series? They're actually so deluded think they can tell you not to smoke in your own plane? < facepalm >

[CSM]

Why not? They are also banning it from all “places of employment” which could very well be your home. When you hire a plumber, your house now becomes a place of employment.

[toldyou]

“How is that distinction even relevant? Smoking has been banned from ALL aircraft, not just commercial planes.”

That’s not true.

[Still Thinking]

That going too far. I’d ignore them.

[Don W]

Your gratitude would seem misplaced, since eliminating smoking from aircraft enabled the airlines to drastically reduce the amount of fresh air entering the cabin, thereby ensuring that if there is a bug aboard, you are far more likely to be exposed to it.

At least when the smokers were at the back of the bus (so to speak), the driver had to keep those windows open. Now we all get to inhale each other’s halitosis, BO and whatever else was brought aboard. Yay!

[CSM]

Which works until they begin enforcing it via the barrell of the government guns. And that is their only recorse in the long term.

[Still Thinking]

How are they supposed to know if you smoke in your own plane?